Affaire ASER : Bachir Fofana réclame des comptes sur les 37 milliards de francs CFA et recadre le débat politique
ASER Affair: Bachir Fofana demands accountability for the 37 billion CFA francs and reframes the political debate
Invited to the flagship program "Jury du Dimanche," journalist and author Bachir Fofana discussed in detail the persistent uncertainties surrounding the rural electrification contract awarded to the Senegalese Rural Electrification Agency (ASER). This sensitive issue, according to his analysis, has gradually moved beyond purely technical matters to become a fierce political battle.
In his recently published book on this matter, Bachir Fofana claims to have conducted in-depth investigations to understand how several tens of billions of CFA francs could have been disbursed by the State while concrete results are sorely slow to materialize on the ground.
According to the journalist, the warnings issued for several months by MP Thierno Alassane Sall have often been downplayed, or even fiercely opposed, by the current government. The author believes, however, that recent textual and contractual developments now vindicate the parliamentarian on most of the points raised since the start of this affair.
He notably recalls that Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko had publicly given his political support to the Director General of ASER when the first criticisms and suspicions of malfunctions had emerged around this mega rural electrification project.
Meanwhile, tensions spilled over into the National Assembly and onto digital platforms, where majority party MP Guy Marius Sagna repeatedly and vehemently attacked Thierno Alassane Sall, accusing him of waging a smear campaign against the authorities. For Bachir Fofana, these political clashes unfortunately risk obscuring the only fundamental issue: the transparent and effective use of public funds committed to this large-scale project.
"This project was presented to the Senegalese people as a complete success. However, when we compare the official statements with the technical documents and the actual achievements observed on the ground, many questions remain," argues the Sunday guest.
The author notes that an initial advance of approximately 37 billion CFA francs was indeed disbursed for this project. According to the Agency's stated objectives, this substantial funding was intended to guarantee the rapid electrification of hundreds of isolated communities across the country. However, the results observed to date fall far short of the contractual promises. He cites, in particular, the initial commitments to fully electrify 600 villages, while the actual operational infrastructure on the ground remains woefully inadequate.
Beyond the positioning controversies among political leaders, Bachir Fofana is calling for an urgent refocusing of the debate on rural populations. Behind the billions of CFA francs discussed in Dakar's social circles, he reminds us, lie families still living in darkness, schools where students study in precarious conditions, and health centers facing crippling power outages that hinder the care of patients.
“The Senegalese people have an absolute right to clear answers,” insists the journalist, who formally calls on state oversight bodies and the relevant authorities to shed full light on the conditions under which this public contract was awarded, the final destination of the disbursed funds, and the criminal or administrative responsibilities of the various actors involved. While the audits continue, the ASER affair continues to undermine the narrative of good governance and fuel debates about the impartiality of the management of major state projects.
Yandé Diop
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